Open Race Car Trailers - Building A Trailer On A Budget

It might seem silly to tie it down, yet there have been more than a few Street Stocks driven on the trailer, put in park, and towed home. This is not a good practice.

Virgil Brown at M&R Products is a source of constant education. In the past, I have tied a car down at the front and rear, thinking that was OK. Brown pointed out that a four-point tie-down system should be employed. According to Brown, if the trailer jackknifes or is involved in some emergency maneuver, one rear corner of the car can rise up when only two points are used. With this weight shift, the trailer will dip and something bad will happen.

With that information in mind, I selected four 6-foot axle tie-downs from the M&R catalog. The front two will go over the lower A-frames. Four D-rings are needed to attach these tie-downs. M&R also offers wheel bonnets, which are a good option, because they don't require reaching so far under the car to attach.

At the end of the trailer are two loading ramps made from leftover purling. Each ramp is made as follows: Cut two pieces of purling at 33 inches and weld them together like the trailer runners. On one end, weld a piece of 2-inch angle. This one is attached with the point out, somewhat like a very dull axe.

At the trailer end of the ramp, weld a piece of the same angle with the flange out and on top. Drill or torch two holes in this. Lay the ramp in place and drill corresponding holes in the channel, only larger. The slack is necessary due to the variable down-angle of the ramp. Weld 1/2x1 1/2-inch bolts into the ramp holes. These are the hooks that keep the ramp in place.

There is an alternative way to mount the ramps. On this trailer, they swing out and stay attached to the trailer. First, drill the outer hole all the way through both flanges of the channel. Now a 7-inch piece of all-thread rod can be put through the ramp and the channel. Presto, the ramp is permanently attached to the trailer.

Lift the ramp and swing it in. Swing it out and it drops in place. When both ramps are in, a short chain holds them together at the center. Notice in the photos there is a T-shaped bar at the center rear of the trailer. This is a rest for the ramps when tucked.

Due to the money I saved on the trailer, I could afford one item I couldn't live without: a winch. Yes, this is an extra, but too many times damage is done to either the trailer or the car when a wrecker driver has to hurry to get the car loaded. Tiny clutches don't like trailer loading, either.

I selected a Superwinch Model S3500. It is not the largest winch the company makes, but it isn't the smallest, either. If your winch is too small, it can give you a false sense of security. It can load the car when all four tires are round and black. When one wheel points somewhere other than the direction of travel, you need a real winch.

According to Scott Davis of Superwinch, each layer of cable on the winch spool decreases the power by 10 percent. Use only as much cable as you need. Cut off and save the rest to replace a worn and frayed cable later. A nice touch is the 30-foot cable on the control switch. I can winch the car on and steer it at the same time, all by myself.